Life is a Circus....

so you might as well Live with Zest!

I'm playing with the new Graphic 45 Le Cirque Papers and Stamp sets. These papers are so vibrant and so wonderfully vintage, I had to get out the distress inks and get really inky.

I stamped the background with the Le Cirque 3 set using Walnut Stain, Chipped Sapphire, Wild Honey and Barn Door Distress inks. Then I blended more Wild Honey and Vintage Photo to age the white cs. Next I over-stamped using Hero Arts Envelope Pattern with Vintage Photo and Raindrops Background in Stormy Sky. I finished the background by using a piece of lace as a mask and spritzing on some Perfect Pearls and then Bright Gold Memories Mist. For the button I stamped one of the images from the set on frosted Shrinky Dink plastic using Azure Stazon ink, then hitting it with my heat tool.  The sentiment is done with Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type letter stickers. Here's a close up of the lace detail.....

This card took forever...I just didn't know where I wanted to end up with it so I meandered about for a few days until I finally got a clue. I made 6 different versions of the stamped elephant that I rejected until this one told me it was the one. The Hero Arts sentiment is a favorite of mine from the Life is Not Perfect clear set. I think "Live with Zest" should be my sister's life theme...she squeezes the most out of every day.
Here's a closer view of the canopy and rosette....

The rosette is actually only half a rosette, it fits perfectly under the canopy that I stamped with the Stripes Pattern HA cling background.
If your life is a circus....enjoy every minute of it!!

~ Psalm 119: 33-35 ~ 

Teach me Your decrees, O Lord;

I will keep them to the end.

Give me understanding and I will obey Your instructions;

I will put them into practice with all my heart.

Make me walk along the path of Your commands,

for that is where my happiness is found.

~ Matthew 22:37-40 ~

Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,

all your soul, and all your mind.'

This is the first and greatest commandment.

A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

Have a blessed weekend,

nancy

Another Reason Why I Love Being a Card-maker....

It's the principle of reaping and sowing....you send a card, you leave a comment, you give some encouragement and it all comes back to you....beautifully!
Case in point, in the last week I've been the recipient of some very lovely happy mail from some very lovely international friends (and one from Texas, who is quite lovely too!).
I've added a link to each of their blogs so you can visit and give them some comment love:

FROM VIRGINIA:

I love the doily as a frame for the main image...so clever!  Virginia sent along some fun faith-themed SRM stickers....thanks so much!!

FROM SANNE:

 

I met Sanne at CHA and she is so sweet...it's obvious how talented she is! The flower is shiny with glossy accents and glitter...it's so gorgeous IRL.

Sanne sent a little bonus tag too...

FROM VERA:

 I did a little favor for Vera and she sent this as a thank you....it's so charming with those tiny little butterflies. Vera's blog is Ling's Design Studio.

I also just got a gorgeous card from Linda van Vliet all the way from Holland as part of the Card Chain Challenge. This card has an acetate base with some of the most lovely stamping in the challenge colors. She even decorated the envelope, love that!

FROM LINDA:

I love the sentiment and I heartily agree....I'm so grateful for my friends, those nearby and all of my blogging buddies.

Here is the card I sent to Cassi for the Card Chain Challenge:

I loosely based this on the sketch and the challenge colors...very loosely it appears.

Friends do add so much to our lives...the old ones who know us the best (and still love us) and the newer ones we are learning more about and with whom we share common interests. To all my friends...love and blessings to you!!

Here are some of my favorite verses, pearls of wisdom if you will, from Proverbs chapter 27...

 ~Proverbs 27:8 ~

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

~ Proverbs 27:9 ~

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.

~ Proverbs 27:12 ~

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.

The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

~ Proverbs 27:14 ~

A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning

will be taken as a curse!

(love this one, obviously King Solomon was not a morning person)

~ Proverbs 27:17 ~

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

~ Proverbs 27:19 ~

As a face is reflected in water,

so the heart reflects the real person.

blessings,

nancy

Some More "Kissing"

I tried a variation on the kissing technique for this card. Instead of kissing the texture to the main image, I used the texture stamp, in this case the Screen Shadow stamp, as my ink source. I inked up the Screen Shadow really well with Hero Hues Chalk ink and then inked the Trees of the Season (CG208) shadow stamps on the inked stamp.

 The texture is transferred to the stamp with the ink. I like the subtle look and now I'm looking for some more shadow stamps to use this technique with. I'm still trying to get the hang of using my sewing machine, I'm hoping that practice really will make perfect someday. The Hero Hues colors used are: Cerulean for winter, Grass for spring, Poppy for summer and Punch for fall. The sentiment is an SRM sticker.

~Psalm 73:25-26 ~

Whom have I in heaven but You?

I desire You more than anything on earth.

My health may fail and my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart,

He is mine forever!

blessings,
nancy

A "Kissed" Thank You!

One of the challenge themes for this month at the Hero Arts blog is Stamp Kissing. This simple card uses that technique...I inked the Large Flower with Hero Hues Poppy chalk ink, then inked the Envelope Pattern with Iris chalk ink and kissed them together. Then I stamped the flower onto white cardstock. The result is a subtle texture from the cross hatch Envelope Pattern in complementary colors.....

Stamps: Hero Arts- Large Flower Pattern S5471, Envelope Pattern S5507, Congrats (frame) CL488, Find Joy (thank you sentiment) CL497.

~ 2 Corinthians 4:6 ~

"For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," 

has made this light shine in our hearts 

so we could know the glory of God 

that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ."

blessings,

nancy

Love Note

Edited to add: This card is a Fab 5 winner on the Hero Arts Blog...yippee!

I had time for just a quick card this morning using my Blooming Heart stamp......

....perfect for a little love note!

Stamps: Hero Arts- Blooming Heart K5298, Large Canvas Stripes S5433, Old Letter Writing S4878, Anytime Messages CL129.

 ~ Revelation 21:4 ~

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; 

there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; 

and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Just a little glimpse of heaven. 

Praying that this will comfort the hearts of those who may need some hope.

blessings,

nancy

Tag Tuesday....

I've missed Tag Tuesday for too long so I made a special effort this morning to just do it! The theme this week is a tag on a tag....you can see the pretty example by Louise HERE.  As usual I had no idea where I was going when I started...(I actually started with a canvas tag that I spritzed with Glimmer Mist using a stencil...that will be for another project.)

 I used my favorite color combo: gold, bright green, and purple and lots of my new favorite Hero Arts stamps!  I used alcohol inks to color the tiny tags and over-stamped them with various stamps. The words on the tiny tags are SRM Stickers. I took the SRM workshop at CHA and got some lovely parting gifts, too!

Stamps used on this tag: all are Hero Arts- Earth Flowers CL428, La Letter K5344, Envelope Pattern S5507, Flowers and Swirls S5488.

~ Isaiah 12:2 ~

God is my salvation.

I will trust and not be afraid.

For the Lord God is my strength and my song;

He has given me the victory!

 

blessings,

nancy

Quick Card for a 90 Minute Scramble

Yesterday the Hero Arts Flickr group held another of their fun 90 Minute Scrambles. The challenge theme is secret until time starts and you have just an hour and a half to design, create, photograph and upload your entry. It's fun but nerve-wracking for me...I love to futz while making cards. You know take my time, set an idea aside and come back to it later. These Scramble Challenges are just what I need sometimes to kick me into gear.
The challenge yesterday was to make a card with 2 or more folds. Now being a simple (read that lazy) girl I opted for 2 simple folds. I choose the stamps that were handy, favorite ink colors and a stand-by stamp technique to keep things really simple.
So here's the finished birthday card.....

 

After folding the cardstock I stamped the Large Flower Pattern stamp S5471 with Hero Hues Poppy Chalk Ink on the right flap. I stamped it again with Worn Lipstick Distress ink on the inside of the flap and on a separate panel to add to the inside of the other flap to clean up the edges.
For the front panel I did some layered stamping and embossing. First I stamped Envelope Pattern S5507 with Vintage Photo Distress ink. Then I stamped the Large Flower stamp with Versamark and white embossed. I added color with a blending tool using Worn Lipstick and Wild Honey Distress inks.
I finished the card with a sentiment (a bit sloppy, but no time to be my usual fussy perfectionist self) a punched border and a strip of ribbon.

Today I'd like to ask you to follow this link to learn about a sweet little girl, 

Kate McRae who needs your prayers.

~James 5: 16 ~

"Confess your faults to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."

Thank you.

blessings,

nancy

Hero Arts Flower Pin...on my Sweet Girl

It's a cleaning day today....can't find anything and I'm so unorganized that my creativity is seriously hampered. So since there's nothing new to share, I thought I'd post this cute photo of my little Tia sporting her new bling.

These fabric flowers (hundreds of them) were made by some of my Hero Arts Flickr buddies and they did such a wonderful job with them. I proudly wore mine at CHA.....now it's bringing a bit of Spring to my world on the collar of my little Chihuahua. (She loves it....I'm sure it makes her feel like a princess because she's acting like a princess.)  I'm planning to make a bunch of these for birthday gifts this year. Thanks for the initial inspiration goes to Sally Traidman, Hero Arts Artist!

~ Romans 10:13-17 ~

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him?

And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him?

And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?

And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?

That is why the Scriptures say, 

"How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring Good News!"

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ!

blessings,

nancy

January CCC...just a little late...

I've been waiting so patiently for the gorgeous set of cards from Paula in Australia to arrive. I'm getting ready to make my card for the February CCC but I thought I should get January posted first.
Luckily, the sweet and lovely Paula has provided me with photos of the promised cards (the funky weather down under prevented her from getting to the mail sooner).
I do love this fun card exchange, it is so fun and easy to participate. There's no pressure, just make one card and send it on it's way. Then sit back and be surprised when a card lands in the mailbox from anywhere in the world. I love it....thanks goes to Deborah Nolan- Society of Stamp & Scrap-aholics for originating this idea and to all the wonderful card makers who participate each month.
So without further ado, here's the card that I sent to Anette in Norway....

I'm so loving this wonderful set of chair stamps from Hero Arts, it's called Wish You Were Here. I stamped the chair on pp and then made a background with more pp from the Restoration Collection by Crate Paper.
A sentiment and a few very simple embellies and I called it done.

Now can I just say that our dear Paula likes to do things up right. Not only did she make a gorgeous card for me....she made 4 gorgeous cards. One of the themes was Australia Day and I'm very honored that she shared cards with her country's big holiday.

I believe the answer to Aussie, Aussie, Aussie is Oy, Oy, Oy! Well done Paula, love it!

 I like how Paula translated for me....G'day Mate must mean Hello Friend!

Beautiful flower...this card reminds me of pretty package! Be sure to check out her blog, Scrappy Me. Thank you Paula for making these wonderful cards for me, you are such a sweet and generous soul. Blessings to you, dear friend!

 ~ Psalm 86: 4-5 ~

Give me happiness, O Lord,

for I give myself to You.

O Lord, You are so good,

so ready to forgive,

so full of unfailing love

for all who ask for Your help.

blessings,

nancy

CHA Fun Part Two!......and a little announcement

I went to CHA with my friend Linda who is the store manager at Stamp Fever. We spent Saturday and Sunday scouting out new products, placing orders and running into friends we knew from cyberspace. It was exhausting but oh so fun! But the best part was meeting our new best friends from Denmark.
Pia and Sanne are two of the most beautiful and warm people I've ever met. It was like we had known each other for ever (which Pia and Sanne have, they've been friends for many years). We laughed and chatted about everything, enjoyed lunch together on Sunday and did a make and take with Kathy Racoosin (pic in yesterday's post). Then on Sunday night we went back to their hotel to have dinner and chat some more. We met Pia's husband and he is wonderful too!
Here we are hanging out at the downtown Hilton:

I'm hoping that Sanne and Pia will be able to come to CHA next year. It will be in Anaheim so I can play tour guide and show them the Orange County sights. I feel like I have made two life long friends, hugs to you both!

So Monday I was back at the LA Convention Center with Kelly Marie Alvarez and the rest of the Lawn Fawn team. They had the cutest, most clever booth. It was simply perfect. But don't take my word for it, see for yourself.....

 It was like stepping into the Critters in the Burbs stamp set. They hand-stitched the backdrop. You'll notice the tree and other favorite stamps that were blown up to decorate the happy backyard scene.

I love the stamp sets and samples displayed on clotheslines...so brilliant!


Here's a couple more photos of the fabulous stamp images blown up.....

Here's some of the visitors to the Lawn Fawn booth...

Lovely Lisa Spangler...holding the original "lawn fawn", Francois.

Kathy Racoosin stopped by for a visit too!

 Lisa with the Lawn Fawn gang.

The sweet, lovely and oh so hardworking Tiffany Johnson. She stayed busy with Make and Takes.

Everyone was still smiling at the end of the day on Monday. That's Kelly's hubby Mike.

So I managed to get some of the brand new stamp sets and there was one in particular that will be very useful in the coming months.....

It's called Plus One and here's the card I made with it.....

It's for my sweet daughter in law Kellie.....yep, I'm gonna be a grandma!!

~ Psalm 127: 3-5 ~

Children are a heritage from the LORD,
   offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
   are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
   whose quiver is full of them. 

blessings,

nancy

CHA Fun! Part One....

What an amazing 3 days....they flew by and I'm just now processing all the sights and all the fun.

I met some wonderful people who I have admired through their blogs and the Flickr group.....

My hostess sister Jenny Suchin:

The fabulous and adorable Jill Foster (with the equally fabulous and adorable Jennifer McGuire):

The wonderful and wacky duo of Jennifer and Shari Carroll....

The ever delightful Lisa Spangler:

My sweet buddy Sally Traidman (busy doing Make and Takes in the Hero booth):

Don't you love her flower "collar"? Did you notice all the pretty flowers we are all sporting? 

A big thank you goes out to all the Flickr sweeties who stitched up hundreds of them!!

Sanne, Pia and me with a wonderful lady...Nancy Taylor!

I found the sweet and inspiring Kathy Racoosin in the Penny Black booth:

Sanne, Pia and I did Kathy's cute make and take.

And here we are with the whole Hero Arts Crew:

I'll be back tomorrow with more from my day in the Lawn Fawn booth so please stay tuned!

~ Psalm 89:14 ~

"Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,

for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord."

blessings,

nancy